A man was killed in a crash on a Florida Turnpike exit ramp on Thursday that caused him to be ejected and his car to land upside down on the Miami Grand Prix circuit, WSVN News reports.
The car, which police identified as a “gray Dodge coupe” and appears to be a Challenger, somersaulted over a barrier and took out a couple of palm trees before landing on the race track below, according to WSVN News. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
The crash occurred at approximately 1:45 p.m. on the Turnpike exit ramp at Northwest 199th Street in Miami Gardens, Florida. After going airborne and falling approximately 20 feet, the Dodge landed upside down on the exit for turn 16 of the Miami F1 track. The driver was ejected from the car before it left the exit ramp. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
This portion of the track was built for the inaugural Miami Grand Prix which was held in May 2022. The race takes place around Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the Miami Dolphins. Where the car landed is one of the furthest points away from the stadium itself.
Turn 16 of the Miami F1 track features permanent barriers and debris fencing. The exit of that turn leads to the start of the second DRS detection zone and the longest straightaway on the circuit. The Turnpike exit ramps near the track are closed to traffic whenever there is track activity. This crash clearly illustrates why that is a good idea.
